Launchbar Tips and Tricks

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We have covered many Mac apps already, like our essential list of Mac apps. One of the apps we found to be a must-have is Launchbar. We love it so much that we decided to write a whole article about it and show you, with help of a couple screencasts, why this app is essential for any Mac power user.

The basics

If you are completely new to the concept of application launchers and/or Launchbar, you want to watch the screencast below. The idea behind application launchers such as Launchbar is that you minimize the use of your mouse and instead you use your keyboard. Like we have written before, using keyboard shortcuts make you more efficient.

Some of you might wonder with Lion’s Launchpad, would you still use Launchbar? Yes, you would. Launchpad still requires for you use to your trackpad or mouse, which slows you down. With Launchbar you can launch apps a lot faster because you only need your keyboard.

Web browsing tips and tricks

The following screencast shows you how surfing the web can be a lot more convenient with Launchbar. The tips will show you how you can visit websites with only using Launchbar. It will also show you how you can use Launchbar for different search engines like Google, Wikipedia, and Amazon for faster searching.

Instant Send

This is one of my favorite features of Launchbar: Instant Send. It allows you to quickly send files to programs or have selected text ready for Launchbar manipulation. The screencast below will show you why Instant Send is so awesome. It is especially great for sending email attachments, as is demonstrated below.

Other application launchers

While Launchbar is a great app, it is not the only application launcher available on OS X. For some people, Spotlight is good enough and there is nothing wrong with that. If you want to test drive a couple other application launchers, check out the list below.

  • Alfred – A free app launcher that is very popular.
  • Quicksilver – This was one of the first application launchers for OS X.
  • Butler – Besides launching apps, Butler also has many other features.

Next Action

Grab a copy of Launchbar (or any other application launcher) and become a keyboard rockstar.

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You might also like:
  1. OmniFocus Series Part 10: Advanced Tips and Tricks
  2. OmniFocus Series Part 09: Advanced Tips and Tricks

Tagged as: Intermediate, launchbar, Screencasts, technology

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  • Pingback: Launchbar Tips and Tricks | Doug Lane

  • http://alphaefficiency.com Bojan Djordjevic

    I can’t justify the cost, but I believe it’s great!

  • Stephan Holzgruber

    I like the desktop background in the screencasts; can you provide the source, please?

  • http://www.asianefficiency.com/ AE Thanh

    Hey Stephan it’s actually a wallpaper that comes with Snow Leopard. When you change the background, go to the “black and white” wallpapers that comes with Snow Leopard and it’s there. I could only find a cropped version here for you:
    http://mayfieldmayhem.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/picture-16.png

  • Pingback: frEdSCAPEs 3.0 / Alles over Launchbar

  • Toby Z

    Thanks for the great tutorial. Wondering if you know how to use LaunchBar to send an OmniFocus Action DIRECTLY to the OF inbox (without LaunchBar opening the Quick Entry dialog). Things does this. It would be great to be able to just quickly use LaunchBar entry and format it as one format’s an email that goes to the OF inbox…

     
    example:
    (Action >Project @Mac #tomorrow //these are notes) hit enter…boom it’s right where it needs to be in OF…all in a flurry of keyboard strokes.Also, in using LaunchBar to enter OF Quick Entry stuff, How do you get the text you type in LaunchBar’s own Quick Entry (Invoke OF via LaunchBar, then Shift-Space for entry field) to be the name of the Action in OF? After I type my Action into the LaunchBar entry field, when I press Enter (and Quick Entry opens) The name of my resulting Action is actually “From LaunchBar”, with my desired Action text in the notes section instead.Thanks!TZ

  • http://www.asianefficiency.com/ Thanh Pham

    Hey Toby,

    I have wondered this myself too, but I haven’t looked into it yet. For now, the quick entry box works pretty good for me. If you have find a script that does this I’d be interested to see and test it.

  • Mauricio

    Launch Bar is indeed very amazing and very useful. I personally use Quicksilver along cause I like the display on that one better. But if you want something that can manipulate and open almost everything LaunchBar is definitely the way to to and you can purchase it now on a Bundle along with other great apps for real cheap at http://bit.ly/n6JPni…You may also find a complete review on it at http://blog.mauricioquito.comEnjoy

  • Toby

    I’m searchin’…I’ll let you know if I find something that works. Thanks for the quick reply, Thanh…Toby

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